


Home for Christmas

by expectingtofly



Series: Christmas Fluff 2020 [8]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon Divergent, Castiel and Dean Winchester Own a House, Castiel and Dean Winchester Watch Movies, Castiel and Dean Winchester and Sam Winchester are Jack Kline's Parents, Castiel and Dean Winchester are Saps, Castiel tears up over everything, Christmas Eve, Christmas Movies, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Castiel (Supernatural), Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, M/M, Post-Canon, headcanon that after crying in 15x18, so yeah he's gonna cry while watching frosty the snowman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28294311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/expectingtofly/pseuds/expectingtofly
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and everything is perfect. Dean and Cas own a small house that they've decorated for the holidays, Sam and Eileen will be coming over tomorrow, and it's snowing outside. Now they just have to wait for Jack to show up. And wait. And wait.Dean's trying to stay optimistic, but Christmas just won't be the same without the whole family.written for Day 24 ofthese prompts
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester
Series: Christmas Fluff 2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039002
Comments: 6
Kudos: 58





	Home for Christmas

A few years ago, Dean and Castiel moved out of the bunker and into a small house with tall trees in the backyard and a front porch that creaked in the wintertime. The bunker held a lot of memories and had been a good home for a long time, but it _was_ a bunker, after all. It was better suited to what it had recently become under Sam’s guidance—a place for hunters to convene, study the lore, stay overnight while on cases. 

This home, this was what Dean had secretly dreamed about when he thought about retiring. This home was Dean and Castiel’s alone. 

And Jack’s, when he came to visit. As he’d grown older, these visits had become less frequent with the more active role he took in governing the universe (though he was fond of impromptu visits and had on more than one occasion startled Dean out of his skin by appearing in the kitchen or living room unannounced).

But today was Christmas Eve, and Jack had promised to come over and stay at least one night into Christmas morning, when Sam and Eileen would visit with their now five year old Charlotte in tow. 

In preparation for Jack’s visit, Castiel had roped Dean into cleaning Jack’s room. Dean finished vacuuming as Castiel arranged stuffed animals against the headboard to greet Jack.

“It’s noon already,” Castiel said. “I was hoping he’d get here early.”

“He’s a busy kid,” Dean said, reaching over to straighten a lop-eared bunny that had fallen over. “He’ll be here.”

The rest of the afternoon they spent wrapping Sam and Eileen’s and Charlotte’s presents. Castiel kept glancing at the clock and, though Dean was trying to act nonchalant, he couldn’t deny that he was impatient to see Jack too.

“Do you think he forgot what day it is?” Castiel finally asked, voicing Dean’s own concerns as he set the gifts under the tree.

For Castiel’s sake, Dean kept his worries to himself. “Nah, how could he? Biggest night of the year.”

“But time is different in Heaven. He might’ve gotten distracted.”

“He’ll be here,” Dean said, not for the first, second, or third time that day. “You hungry? I am.” Castiel nodded and Dean headed into the kitchen. He threw a frozen pizza in the oven for dinner—they’d have a big Christmas meal with Sam and Eileen tomorrow— and leaned on the counter, shutting his eyes.

_You better get here soon, kid_ , he prayed inwardly to Jack, _or Cas is gonna shed some tears and make me cry too, and it’s gonna be a mess—so just fly your ass down here alright?_

After dinner, he suggested a movie to take Castiel’s (and his) mind off of Jack not showing up. A fear settled in him that maybe something was wrong, but Jack was God now. He was the most powerful being in the universe. If something was wrong, they’d know because the world would be thrown into chaos. 

And right now the world was quiet, peaceful. Snow was falling outside in soft clumps, lit by the string lighting they’d wrapped around the porch—a task that had taken entirely too long and involved too much swearing and barking orders from the bottom of the ladder. The end result was pretty, though. It gave Dean a small pride to drive up to their house at night and see it decorated, a small astonishment that it was truly their home.

Castiel stood by the window as Dean turned on the fireplace. On nights like these, he was glad Castiel had convinced him to get a remote controlled gas one. He’d be damned before he went out in the cold and grabbed firewood. Screw it—he was old, he’d saved the world once or twice. He deserved small luxuries. 

Sitting on the couch, he searched for something to watch and Castiel spoke up, “I wonder if Jack sent the snow to us.”

“He’s not gonna just send us snow instead of showing up,” Dean said, guessing what Castiel was thinking. He settled on the original _Frosty the Snowman_ because, one, it was a classic, and two, it reminded him of Jack’s excitement the first time he got to play in the snow.

He held out his arms as Castiel turned from the window, and Castiel settled next to him on the couch, curled up against him. 

“Jack loves snowpeople,” he said sadly as Frosty came to life in the movie. 

Inwardly, Dean cursed this movie choice. Aloud, trying to keep his voice optimistic, he said, “If it keeps snowing, we can make one with him tomorrow.”

“Sam and Eileen are lucky. Charlotte is with them all the time, she doesn’t have to oversee Heaven or organize the angels.”

“Yeah, but she’s gonna grow up eventually and move out and not want to be seen with us anymore because suddenly she’s too cool for us.”

“Do you think so?” Castiel asked, tilting his head to look at him.

“Yeah that’s just what happens. Think about Claire. She’s still not past that phase.”

“Charlotte’s getting so old already.” Castiel’s voice turned mournful. “Last week she told me that she knew all about dinosaurs, that they learned about them in kindergarten. Dinosaurs, Dean,” he repeated, straightening to meet Dean’s eyes. “I saw them when they first walked on Earth and I saw when they died, and now she knows they’re extinct and knows about death. Death! She’s five!”

“I know, Cas, I know.”

“Do you remember how sad Jack was when his snowperson melted? Now he’s welcoming the newly deceased into Heaven. When did he get so old?”

Maybe reminding Castiel about the passage of time hadn’t been as comforting as Dean had foolishly thought it’d be. His suspicions were only further proved when Frosty began to melt and he heard a suspicious sniffle from Castiel. 

“Cas, angel, come on,” he said, touching Castiel’s cheek. “Don’t cry. It’s Christmas Eve, we’re supposed to be merry and bright and all that shit.”

Castiel nodded, but his voice was thick with tears when he said, “I wish Jack was here.”

“Alright stop, You’re gonna fucking make me cry.” Shifting so he could pull Castiel close against his chest, he said, “I know, I miss him too. I wish he was here all the time.” He glanced at his watch. “He still has two hours before it’s Christmas, though, so technically he’s not late. He didn’t say when he’d get here on Christmas Eve.”

“If he’s not here by Christmas,” Castiel said, wiping at his eyes with the corner of the blanket, “I’m going to call in some favors from the angels and hunt him down.”

Dean rested his chin on top of Castiel’s head. “Sounds good.” 

_Alright, Cas is crying now,_ he prayed to Jack. _I know you’re busy, but it’s Christmas and you know how he gets about holidays._ After a moment, he added, _We miss you._

The movie ended and, resigned to staying up until midnight to wait for Jack, Dean put on another Christmas classic, _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_. Castiel’s weight against him grew heavier, and he thought Castiel might be asleep—mainly because he didn’t hear any more sniffles about how mean the other reindeer were to Rudolph. 

His own eyes were drooping shut and he leaned his head back against the sofa. At least tomorrow they’d have Sam, Eileen, and Charlotte over to distract themselves from Jack’s absence. That was a lie—Dean knew they wouldn’t feel Jack’s absence any less. But that’s the way it goes when your son is God, Dean told himself. You have to share him with the whole universe. Sometimes that means missing Christmas.

It wasn’t exactly a cheerful thought. He knew he really should wake Castiel and get into bed because sleeping on the couch was going to hurt like a bitch, but he was drifting off to sleep anyway when a bright voice said, “Hello!”

Dean’s eyes shot open as he startled. Standing in front of the TV, a smile on his face and Christmas presents in his arms, was Jack.

“Jack.” Castiel scrambled off the couch and pulled Jack into a hug. “You’re here!”

Dean glanced at his watch. 11:52pm. “And on time too,” he said. Getting up, he waited for Castiel to let go of Jack before pulling him into a tight hug, probably bruising the presents. “Good to see you, kid,” he said, kissing him on the top of his head before letting go of him.

“What happened, why’re you so late?” Castiel asked.

“Well, first I had to help Ellen and Jo decorate the Roadhouse for Christmas in Heaven.” Jack deposited his presents under the tree. “Then I realized that I’d been so busy, I forgot to buy any gifts.” He gestured to the gift-wrapped boxes and holiday themed bags. “So I spent all day buying presents and wrapping them.” 

“See,” Dean said, elbowing Castiel before sinking back down onto the couch. “Told you he’d make it.”

“I heard your prayers, Dean,” Jack said. He peered at Castiel. “Did you cry?”

“No,” Castiel said. Dean nodded behind his back and Castiel caught him with a glare. Turning back to Jack, he said, “I’m just glad you’re here now. We couldn't have celebrated Christmas without the whole family.” 

“I know,” Jack said, hugging Castiel again. “I wasn’t gonna miss it.” Glancing at the TV, he asked, “What’re we watching?”

Castiel answered first, “A horrible movie about bullying.” 

“It has a happy ending!” Dean protested.

“They only accept Rudolph because he’s useful, that’s not a good message,” Castiel shot back.

“Can we watch _Frosty the Snowman_?” Jack asked, sitting down next to Dean, not at all fazed by their bickering.

Dean started to say that they’d already watched that one, but Castiel smiled and he stopped. “Yeah, let’s watch it.”

He ended up watching less of the movie anyway and more of Castiel and Jack, who kept up a steady stream of conversation about the angels and Heaven. Smiling, Dean sunk into the warmth of the blanket and fireplace, his eyes falling shut.

Before he fell asleep, though, he realized it was past midnight now.

“Merry Christmas, you guys,” he said, opening his eyes to look at Castiel and Jack. 

“Merry Christmas!” Jack said and Castiel smiled at him over Jack’s head. 

“Merry Christmas.” And it finally was—merry and bright in their home.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading this fluff :) i love hearing your thoughts in the comments, and you can check out my tumblr [here](https://expectingtofly.tumblr.com/) :)


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